The Manufacturing Executive

When someone says “made in America,” it has always been said with a sense of pride. It is a term that has traditionally been associated with quality and reliability. But what does “made in America” mean, and do the benefits of keeping things stateside outweigh offshoring operations? In 2013, Brandon Acker purchased Titan Abrasive Systems after spending five years learning the ins and outs of the business. As President of Titan Abrasive, Brandon oversees the design and manufacturing of the company's complete line of blast room and blast Machine Products for industrial applications. In this episode, Brandon talks about what being "made in America" means and the benefits of sourcing components that are made in the USA.  Join us as we discuss:The advantages of being fully made in America as a manufacturing operationWhat's happening at the US government level to help manufacturers bring manufacturing back to the USWhat happened to the manufacturing workforce after the pandemicBrandon's advice for manufacturers wanting to become a made-in-America business

Innovative organizations have figured out that employee engagement highly depends on the employer-employee experience you provide inside your organization. The changes that covid has brought to the workplace over the last two years have affected the experience businesses can provide to their employees. Julie Jeannotte is the Employee Engagement Expert & Senior Researcher at OfficeVibe. With over 15 years of experience in the HR industry, Julie is an expert at helping organizations understand the value of placing their people at the heart of their strategy. Julie's background and experience have given her the ability to know what it takes to build high-performing teams with a people-first approach.  Join us as we discuss:How Julie began her journey in the HR industryThe core functions of her company’s employee engagement software, OfficeVibeWhy employee engagement is essential in creating great work environments

Ongoing learning and professional development are necessary for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the curve. And this episode’s guest has constructed his business around this exact idea. Tim Wilborne is the owner of TW Controls with his wife, Amber. Tim began working in a machine shop at the age of 12 and eventually found his way into industrial controls. While his wife was eight months pregnant, they started TW Controls with the primary goal of helping you become a better technician. Tim brings us great insights into how he began his journey and why it’s never too late to get started. Join us as we discuss:Tim’s foray into the world of industrial controls The common misconception about automationWhy ongoing learning is so critical

MJ Peters joins us two years after her first appearance on our show to talk about the evolution of workforce collaboration among engineers in manufacturing.  Currently the VP of Marketing at CoLab Software, MJ brings a mix of industrial and SaaS experience to her role. Before CoLab, MJ worked with 50+ venture-backed b2b software companies on their demand generation strategies at Refine Labs. And prior to that, she spent six years working at FTSE 100 Halma PLC, a group of mid-sized manufacturing businesses focused on medical, environmental and safety technology.  Join us as we discuss:How the way teams communicate and collaborate (especially engineers) has started to changeHow digital transformations are impacting modern manufacturing and engineeringSteps that MJ has taken to uniquely position CoLab in its market

Our guest today sheds light on what future warehouses will look like as robots become more intelligent.  Michael Perry is the Vice President of Marketing at Dexterity, Inc. Michael's main objective is to help customers and partners understand how AI-enabled robots can grow their operations. Before Micahel's time with Dexterity, he was Boston Dynamics VP of business development, where he led the go-to-market campaigns for the company's first commercial products. Michael was also the general manager of North America and Director of Strategic Partnerships at DJI, where he built the Enterprise Partnership ecosystem and sales channels for the world's leading drone manufacturer. Join us as we discuss:The evolution of robotic intelligenceHow robots can help solve problems in the supply chainA look into the warehouse of the future

In any manufacturing operation, quality matters.Andrew Steele, the founder of FactoryQA, is an expert in quality management systems. After starting on the manufacturing floor and years of experience auditing, Andrew brings excellent insights into what quality management systems mean inside a manufacturer's operations. Join us as we discuss: What does quality mean in manufacturing?  How to know if you have a sound quality system in place?  The future of quality management in an increasingly digital world

Over the years, I’ve talked to a lot of manufacturers as a marketing advisor. When I ask them what their ideal customer looks like, I usually get a response saying that they deal with many types of customers in many different industries.  While there’s nothing wrong with targeting different customers, channeling your marketing energy into lanes where you have the best chances of winning will assure you don’t spread yourself too thin. Join us as we discuss:Making intentional decisions about which audience segments to focus onIdentifying the buying process influencers and what matters most to themFrameworks for crafting a customer-centric brand narrative

Harnessing the power of technology allows you to do more with less. Mobile industrial apps enable manufacturers to get more done with fewer people by streamlining processes, improving the capture and sharing of data.  Greg Bohling, the Vice President of Sales and Customer Success at Alpha Software, brings over 15 years of experience in providing digital transformation leadership to manufacturing companies. Greg coaches organizations on how to digitize manual and paper-intensive processes.  Join us as we discuss:What is happening in the manufacturing industry today regarding digital vs. analog data entry.Where manual data entry is happening in manufacturing and how to improve using technology. The importance of having strong quality data in your manufacturing business.

Fran Brunelle is President of Accelerated Manufacturing Brokers, Inc., a company specializing in the sale of lower middle-market manufacturing companies. Fran was named one of the most influential women in M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in 2020. She is also the host of the Women and Manufacturing Podcast. Fran helps manufacturing business owners prepare their companies for sale and navigate the sale process to ensure positive financial results. Join us as we discuss:Factors that buyers will look for when when evaluating a potential acquisitionHow to plan for your exit, even if it’s many years down the roadHow your brand image will affect your valuationWhy right now is a better time than ever to sell

In the manufacturing sector, the person who’s writing the check often isn’t the same person whose attention and trust you need to earn. Instead, the most important buying process influencers tend to be the technical professionals who are trying to solve a problem or achieve an outcome. And in many cases, those technical professionals are engineers. Wendy Covey, CEO, and Co-Founder of TREW Marketing, is an expert in reaching those exact people. As host of the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast, author of Content Marketing, Engineered: Build Trust and Convert Buyers with Technical Content, and publisher of an annual study, State of Marketing to Engineers, Wendy is a wealth of knowledge on the subject. Join us as we discuss: The findings of TREW Marketing’s 2022 study  How marketing to engineers can increase the chances of closing a sale Where engineers go to collect information to make buying decisions